Local crane manufacturer adds new jobs

Published: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 11:25 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 5:03 p.m.

Gov. Bobby Jindal joined company officials Thursday to celebrate the opening of a $1.1 million crane-manufacturing plant in Gray.

“Standard Crane & Hoist's new facility is not only great news for the Bayou Region but great news for our entire state,” Jindal said. “Standard Crane is a Louisiana-based manufacturer that has been building overhead cranes and hoists for over 100 years in our state, and we're proud they chose to reinvest here.”

The 12,600-square-foot plant, at 3246 W. Main St., will create 19 new jobs with an average salary of $41,500 a year, plus benefits. It will also create 27 indirect jobs in Terrebonne Parish.

The company, which has seven locations across Louisiana, makes cranes and related equipment for the offshore oilfield and other industries.

“Business has doubled in the last couple of years,” said Standard Crane President Mac Hadden. “With a new facility in Louisiana, manufacturing companies and oil refineries will now have more of a competitive source.”

The plant will be able to make any size overhead crane used in Louisiana, including some that were only available from out-of-state manufacturers, officials said.

“That means more of these dollars are staying in our economy,” Jindal said.

The plant was designed to work like an assembly line, where parts are cut, cleaned, painted, assembled and shipped.

“It was designed to build cranes simultaneously,” Hadden said. “That's what's really unique. We have a facility just for crane building.”

The company hopes to eventually employ 24 workers at the plant; 14 work there now.

Standard Crane has partnered with the Louisiana Workforce Commission to help search for welders, electricians, painters and service technicians.

“It's not just manufacturing,” Hadden said. “We have a full crew of outside service technicians. Service of the cranes is a good part of the business.”

The project is also expected to receive state incentives, including one that offers tax breaks for every person hired through the Louisiana Workforce Commission website and its jobs database.

“Our team evaluated site location proposals in three Southern states and found that the combination of LED incentives, Louisiana's top-rated steelworkers, and the proximity to our target market made Terrebonne Parish a perfect place to build this new facility,” Hadden said.

The company is looking for experienced workers but is also willing to train on the job.

“We've hired a young guy that graduated from South Lafourche High. We've taught him how to weld. We will hire a guy with no experience that wants to work,” he said.

Headquartered in Destrehan, Standard Crane's customers include Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards, Chevron, Halliburton, BP and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 985-857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houmatoday.com.

<p>Gov. Bobby Jindal joined company officials Thursday to celebrate the opening of a $1.1 million crane-manufacturing plant in Gray.</p><p>“Standard Crane & Hoist's new facility is not only great news for the Bayou Region but great news for our entire state,” Jindal said. “Standard Crane is a Louisiana-based manufacturer that has been building overhead cranes and hoists for over 100 years in our state, and we're proud they chose to reinvest here.”</p><p>The 12,600-square-foot plant, at 3246 W. Main St., will create 19 new jobs with an average salary of $41,500 a year, plus benefits. It will also create 27 indirect jobs in Terrebonne Parish.</p><p>The company, which has seven locations across Louisiana, makes cranes and related equipment for the offshore oilfield and other industries.</p><p>“Business has doubled in the last couple of years,” said Standard Crane President Mac Hadden. “With a new facility in Louisiana, manufacturing companies and oil refineries will now have more of a competitive source.”</p><p>The plant will be able to make any size overhead crane used in Louisiana, including some that were only available from out-of-state manufacturers, officials said.</p><p>“That means more of these dollars are staying in our economy,” Jindal said.</p><p>The plant was designed to work like an assembly line, where parts are cut, cleaned, painted, assembled and shipped.</p><p>“It was designed to build cranes simultaneously,” Hadden said. “That's what's really unique. We have a facility just for crane building.”</p><p>The company hopes to eventually employ 24 workers at the plant; 14 work there now.</p><p>Standard Crane has partnered with the Louisiana Workforce Commission to help search for welders, electricians, painters and service technicians. </p><p>“It's not just manufacturing,” Hadden said. “We have a full crew of outside service technicians. Service of the cranes is a good part of the business.”</p><p>The project is also expected to receive state incentives, including one that offers tax breaks for every person hired through the Louisiana Workforce Commission website and its jobs database.</p><p>“Our team evaluated site location proposals in three Southern states and found that the combination of LED incentives, Louisiana's top-rated steelworkers, and the proximity to our target market made Terrebonne Parish a perfect place to build this new facility,” Hadden said.</p><p>The company is looking for experienced workers but is also willing to train on the job.</p><p>“We've hired a young guy that graduated from South Lafourche High. We've taught him how to weld. We will hire a guy with no experience that wants to work,” he said.</p><p>Headquartered in Destrehan, Standard Crane's customers include Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards, Chevron, Halliburton, BP and the Army Corps of Engineers.</p><p>Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 985-857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houmatoday.com.</p>